Ask early, ask in writing, confirm twice
Accommodations that involve another person or a piece of equipment usually have to be booked separately from your appointment. Asking once is often not enough.
"I have a disability and I need [accommodation] for my appointment on [date]. Please confirm in writing that this will be arranged, and let me know who I should follow up with if it is not."
Accommodations you can ask for
Not every item will apply to you. Use these lists to find the ones that do, then write them on the request form below.
Getting there, getting in, getting on the table
Access to the building, the room, and the exam surface- An accessible entrance, route, restroom, and exam room, with accessible parking nearby
- A height adjustable exam table that lowers to about the height of a wheelchair seat, with a support rail
- An accessible weight scale you can use seated or in your wheelchair
- Transfer help: trained staff, a transfer board, or a patient lift
- Help undressing, dressing, and being positioned for the exam
- A longer appointment slot, or the first or last slot of the day
- A place to wait other than the main waiting room
Communication access
Understanding and being understood, start to finish- A qualified sign language interpreter, on site or by video
- Real time captioning, sometimes called CART
- An assistive listening device
- Staff who face you when they speak, and a clear window mask when infection control allows it
- A written summary of the plan before you leave
- Forms and instructions in large print, braille, plain language, or a format that works with your screen reader
Joint federal guidance from the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services states that a patient with a disability may come to an appointment alone, and that the provider must give reasonable assistance so the patient can receive care, including help getting on and off the exam table and being positioned. Under the HHS Section 504 rule, providers that receive federal financial assistance from HHS were required to have at least one accessible examination table and at least one accessible weight scale in place by July 8, 2026, if they use that type of equipment. Separately, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the clinic is responsible for the auxiliary aids and services needed for effective communication and cannot pass that cost on to you, and an adult who comes with you may interpret only if you ask for that and the adult agrees. The clinic generally chooses which aid to provide as long as communication is actually effective, so it helps to say plainly what works for you and why. See sources 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 below. This is general information about federal requirements and is not legal advice about your situation.
Sensory, cognitive, and decision support
Making the environment and the pace workable- A quieter or dimmer room, and fewer people in the room
- A step by step description of what will happen before it happens
- Permission to bring headphones, sunglasses, a fidget item, or a comfort object
- Questions sent in advance so you can prepare your answers
- One instruction at a time, and a chance to repeat it back
- A support person present, or a supported decision making arrangement you already use
- Written instructions with pictures, plus a number to call with questions later
- A short break partway through the visit
Medications and after visit instructions
Being able to follow the plan once you get home- Accessible prescription labels. Many pharmacies provide talking labels, braille, or large print on request, often at no extra charge
- A formulation you can actually apply: ask about sprays, foams, or applicators if creams are hard to reach or spread
- An alternative if you cannot reach the treated area, including who can help apply it
- Dosing written in plain language, with a printed or digital schedule
- Refills timed so you are not making extra trips
- Instructions sent to your caregiver or support person as well, with your permission
Specific to dermatology visits
Staff may ask only two questions: whether the dog is a service animal required because of a disability, and what work or task it has been trained to perform. They may not ask about your disability, require certification or training documents, or require the dog to wear a vest or identification. A service animal can still be asked to leave if it is out of control or not housebroken, and it may be excluded from the small number of areas where its presence would compromise a sterile field, which can matter for surgical procedures. See source 4 below.
Write your request down
The printable guide includes a fill-in form you can hand to the clinic or upload to the patient portal. If you would rather send an email, the wording below covers the same ground.
What to include in your request
- Your name, date of birth, and appointment date
- The accommodations you are requesting: list them plainly, one per line
- How you communicate best: for example, I use ASL and need an interpreter booked, or send instructions by email in plain text
- What you need in the exam room: a table that lowers for transfer, two staff to assist, extra time, a quieter room, help with dressing
- What helps you most, and what to avoid
- Things the team should know about your body or health: pressure injury risk, positions you cannot hold, adhesive sensitivity, pain triggers, seizure history
- A request for written confirmation, and the name of who to follow up with
- A note asking that the request be added to your chart, so you do not have to explain it again at every visit
"My name is [name] and I have an appointment with [clinician] on [date]. I have a disability and I am requesting the following accommodations for that visit: [list]. Please confirm in writing that these will be arranged, add this request to my chart so it applies to future visits, and let me know the name of the person I should contact if anything cannot be provided. Thank you."
What you can do next
This section describes options that are generally available to patients. It is informational and is not legal advice about your specific situation.
- Ask who handles accessibility. Larger practices and health systems often have an ADA coordinator, a patient relations or patient experience office, or a practice manager. Ask for that person by name, and ask for the decision in writing.
- Write down what happened while it is fresh: the date, who you spoke with, exactly what you asked for, and exactly what you were told. A short dated log is the single most useful thing to have later.
- Ask again in writing through the patient portal or by email, and keep the reply. A written request creates a record and often reaches someone with more authority than the front desk.
- Get free outside help before you decide anything. Every organization listed below helps patients at no cost, and none of them require you to have a lawyer.
- Consider filing a civil rights complaint. There is no filing fee and no lawyer is required. Complaints to the HHS Office for Civil Rights generally must be filed within 180 days of what happened, though that window can sometimes be extended for good cause. See source 7 below. Deadlines for going to court are different, so it is better to ask a lawyer or your Protection and Advocacy agency early rather than waiting.
Where patients can get support at no cost
These organizations are widely available and often unknown to patients. None of them charge for the services described here.
ADA National Network
Free, confidential answers about your rights and about what a clinic can be asked to do, from ten regional centers staffed by ADA specialists. Call 800-949-4232 and your call is routed to the center serving your state.
adata.orgYour State Protection and Advocacy Agency
Federally funded legal advocacy for people with disabilities, including access to health care. One agency exists in every state and territory and services are free, though each agency sets its own priorities and cannot take every case. Find yours through the national directory.
ndrn.org: Member AgenciesCenters for Independent Living
Local organizations run by and for people with disabilities, offering peer support and one to one help advocating for yourself. The Administration for Community Living maintains the official directory. The National Council on Independent Living (ncil.org) and ILRU (ilru.org) also keep directories if that page has moved.
acl.gov: Find a CenterDisability Rights Education and Defense Fund
A national disability civil rights law and policy center directed by people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities. It takes information and referral inquiries at 510-644-2555 or [email protected].
dredf.orgNAD Law and Advocacy Center
The National Association of the Deaf provides general legal information on interpreter and communication access problems in health care, including sample advocacy letters patients can adapt.
nad.org: Health CareAutism Healthcare Accommodations Tool
A free questionnaire, built by a university and community research partnership, that generates a personalized accommodations report to hand to your provider. Designed with and for autistic adults, and useful for many patients who find clinical environments difficult.
researchautism.org: Accommodations ReportUS Access Board
Free technical help on the accessibility of medical diagnostic equipment, including examination tables and weight scales. Call 202-272-0080, extension 3, or email [email protected].
access-board.gov: MDE StandardsTalking Prescription Label Finder
The American Council of the Blind hosts a locator for pharmacies that provide ScripTalk talking labels. Braille and large print are offered through separate programs, and several national chains run their own, so it is worth asking your pharmacy directly as well.
acb.org: Find a PharmacyFiling a Civil Rights Complaint
The HHS Office for Civil Rights accepts disability discrimination complaints about health care providers. The Department of Justice ADA Information Line answers general ADA questions at 800-514-0301 voice or 833-610-1264 TTY.
hhs.gov: Filing a ComplaintSources
Everything in this guide is drawn from the primary sources below. Federal guidance and organizational contact details change over time, so check the original source before relying on a specific requirement or deadline.
- US Department of Justice and US Department of Health and Human Services. Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Mobility Disabilities. ada.gov
- US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. ADA Requirements: Effective Communication. ada.gov
- National Association of the Deaf. Questions and Answers for Health Care Providers. nad.org
- US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. ADA Requirements: Service Animals. ada.gov
- US Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Final Rule: Section by Section Fact Sheet. hhs.gov
- US Access Board. Standards for Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment. access-board.gov
- US Department of Health and Human Services. Filing a Civil Rights Complaint. hhs.gov
- Nicolaidis C, Raymaker D, McDonald K, et al. The development and evaluation of an online healthcare toolkit for autistic adults and their primary care providers. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2016;31(10):1180 to 1189.
- Zemlok SK, Muzumdar S, Chang MW, Krug R, Sloan B. Disability and the dermatology patient, part 1: improving access to dermatologic care. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2026;94(3).
- Zemlok SK, Muzumdar S, Chang MW, Krug R, Sloan B. Disability and the dermatology patient, part 2: supporting patients with disabilities. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2026;94(3):777 to 789.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Patient education library. aad.org/public
Take the guide with you
The printable version includes a fill-in request form you can hand to the clinic or add to your chart.
Download PDF All Patient Resources